The Network is the Path to Accelerate Adoption of Cloud Services

Thinking about moving your document collaboration to the cloud? How about data backup? Want printing using the cloud? You know there are benefits to moving applications to the cloud such as greater flexibility, lower costs and reduced operational demands and you’ve probably discussed this transition with your application team. But have you had this discussion with the network team?

Document collaboration via the cloud makes sense given the distributed nature of companies’ workforces. But, to do this, you need an alternative plan if your remote site loses network connectivity. You want to be able to access that important presentation even if the network is down.

Centralizing data backup to the cloud is a dream come true. But don’t forget you need to prepare the network too so users are not experiencing latencies involved with shifting from local to remote file access. Also, you need to consider the time and impact of backups on the network. You want to be able to handle the additional traffic in addition to the delay-sensitive applications residing in the branch such as voice and video.

Cloud-based Printing allows printing from any device, located anywhere to any printer, which is an enhanced user experience. Most often users will be printing to a near-by printer and we want to give them the same experience as if the print services were local.

Management of the applications centrally makes it much easier. However, if you need to install and maintain agents on your end-user devices – did your IT really gain any operational benefits?

If you have those or similar concerns, you will probably be happy to learn that Cisco has developed a framework to address many of those challenges with Cisco Cloud Connectors.

We believe the network has a unique position here since the router is the last entity controlled by the organization that sees all traffic before it leaves the company site.

Cisco’s pervasive presence in the branch and datacenter allows a consistent experience across the network. Several cloud application providers are working with Cisco to develop connectors that will differentiate their cloud services. Here are the latestadditions to the growing list of connectors built and tested for Cisco platforms:

Do you want your users to be able to get on the network and access the cloud even when they lose access to your corporate headquarters? Check out the Infoblox cloud connector.

How can you access your application storage in a secure and scalable manner? Check out the Amazon connector [email: Ask-CloudConnect@cisco.com for more information].

If you want to backup your data on servers, mobile devices, and virtual machines without the need for a preinstalled agent check out the Asigra cloud connector.

For voice telephony – How do you maintain your business continuity if you lose connectivity to your private cloud? Check out Cisco Unified E-SRST.

Connector development with many more partners is underway, so be sure to look out for future announcements on new cloud connectors that can help you increase the adoption of their services. To learn more about Cisco Cloud Connectors, review this whitepaper.

2 Comments.

Its nice to learn that Cisco has developed Cisco Cloud Connectors. I like Xerox Cloud connectors because very often we have to get a printed hard copy out of a document stored in our mobile device such as iPad 3. Its very good to see Cisco is paying attention in these areas.

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